Solar eclipse watch party: Plan a celestial event at your home and view with family and friends
The U.S. is just a handful of days away from experiencing the celestial phenomenon of a total solar eclipse.
On April 8, 2024, the eclipse will be in plain sight in 15 states across the U.S.
If you’re preparing to host a party full of galaxy lovers or just enjoy any reason to celebrate something with those close to you, this list of party items from sweet treats to tablescapes is a great place to start planning ahead of the weekend.
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Sugar cookies act as both a snack and custom decor for any party, and eclipse cookies in particular are easy to bake and decorate as they require little technique.
First, you’ll need to bake round and flat sugar cookies. You can do so by following your favorite sugar cookie recipe and using a 2 ½ to 3 inch circular cutter to create the shape.
Then, using a combination of light corn syrup, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla or almond extract, mix a thick but semi-runny icing. Add a few drops of red, blue and green food coloring to conjure a black icing. With a piping bag, cover the center of the baked cookies, leaving a thin layer on the outside.
Whether you choose to fill the empty cookie edge with yellow icing is up to you, but the natural color of the baked cookie would suffice as the sun in the eclipse. Plate and serve.
To align with the solar eclipse theme further, add star sprinkles to the cookie icing before it dries.
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For this recipe, the Blavod Black Vodka is the ingredient that will provide a hue of black to the cocktail. Use the edible glitter to tap into the sky during the total solar eclipse and garnish with a whole lemon slice to take the effect of the sun.
Fill a lowball glass with ice. Add two ounces of Blavod Black Vodka. Fill the glass almost to the top with lemonade, leaving enough room for a splash or two of club soda. Add a sprinkle of edible glitter and gently stir. Serve immediately.
No party, dinner party or not, is complete without a tablescape.
While the arrangement will vary depending on your at-home set up, you will capture the sentiment no matter where you choose to dream up your tabletop decor.
Because the solar eclipse is centered on the sun, the moon and Earth, you’ll want to incorporate the palettes of each for good measure.
Deep hues of blue and purple, black, gold and a touch of silver will bring your tablescape to life.
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For a centerpiece across the tabletop, fill vases with water, leaving enough room for a 3" floating candle. You can find various sized round vases at your local dollar or party store. Black candles are available at Amazon, Hobby Lobby and other box stores like Walmart.
If you’re hosting a dinner party, design small menus to print and add an elegant touch to the tablescape. Include one perched atop each place setting for your guests. While it may be easiest to print on 4x6 cardstock paper, printing companies do offer round stock cards. Design a black or deep blue menu to act like the moon and finish off with white, silver or gold text.
Candy tables and sweet charcuterie set-ups are a popular fad that all party-goers flock to – including the kids.
For a candy table, fill various sized glasses, vases or bowls with different kinds of sugars. Black licorice and M&Ms are easy finds and fillers.
In addition to the above, white chocolate melts darken with ease using food coloring or candy melts. Wholly dip strawberries into coal-black chocolate and add to a bowl or plate. Dip a corner of the chocolate into edible gold for an out-of-this-world undertone.
A bowl filled with gold wrapped Ferrero Rocher candies is an easy way to incorporate the color into your sweet set up.
Add purple rock candy and blue sour punch bites for other worldly color combinations.
One very simple finger food recipe to add to your table is mozzarella caprese.
The green of the basil, the white of the mozzarella and the red of the tomato, don’t scream "on brand" for an eclipse gathering. However, a straightforward way to incorporate the events of the day is to use toothpicks with a star or moon at the tip to hold the ingredients together.
Once you've slid each ingredient onto the toothpick, lie them down on a plate and top with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper or balsamic reduction.
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Very simply, toast slices of crostini bread. Add a layer of cream cheese to each piece. Then, top with a lump of smoked salmon.
Slice the cucumber and, using a small star-shaped cookie cutter, carve out the middle of the veggie. Place atop the smoked salmon bites and serve.
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For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
First, begin by slicing 8 ounce mozzarella cheese balls into ½ inch slices. Then, cut the slices in half in the shape of a half moon.
Whisk at least two eggs in a bowl and prepare another bowl or plate with loose breadcrumbs. Dip the mozzarella from the egg wash into bread crumbs and set aside. For a thicker layer of breading, dip the covered cheese in the egg wash and breadcrumbs a second time.
Fill the vegetable oil in a shallow pan at medium to high heat that is at least three inches deep. You’ll want the pan full enough that the cheese will be covered in oil. The oil should be between 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you do not own a thermometer, you can test the oil by placing a wooden spoon in the pan. If the oil begins bubbling around the spoon, it is ready. You can also test by placing one slice of cheese in the pan and waiting for it to fry.
Add as many slices of cheese as you can fit comfortably and remove them once golden brown. Serve with fresh marinara sauce for dipping.
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